Safety switch for clothes wringers



June 3, 1930. g, c, zw E 1,761,030

SAFETY SWITCH FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Filed June 7. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1930. c, c, zw 1,761,030

SAFETY SWITCH FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Filed June '7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1930 PATENT OFFICE" CARL, CLEMENS ZWIEBEL, OF DAYTON, OHIO SAFETY SWITCH FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Applicatioli filed June 7, 1927. Serial No. 197,173.

This invention relates to a safety device and more particularly to such a'device used in connection with a power operated clothes wringer. It is among the objects of the present in- I vention to provide a clothes wringer with a safety device, which, when the hands of the operator approach dangerously near the rollers of the wringer or when it is attempted to introduce too many clothes into a wringer, will automatically disconnect the wringer from the power device. Further objects, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference'being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the wringer, the power device not being shown;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary 'side view of the wringer showing thesafety device;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the controller 2 for the safety device, the cover thereof being removed in order tv show interior structures; Fig. 4' is a detail view of the cover for the controller;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view I so taken along-the line 55 of F 3, the cover being shown in the Fig. 5 with the section taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; v

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3 with the cover applied, the section through the cover being taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; t Fig. 7 is a plan view of the wringer, the guard rails being shown in position before their ends are secured to their respective standards; and 1 Fig. 8 is a detail section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, the wringer is shown comprising standards or side members 20 and 21 in which engaging rollers 22 and are journalled. The roller 23 is carried on the shaft 24, one end of which has a driving motor (not shown) connected thereto, 5a the other end having a gear 25 meshing with gear 26 completing driving connections between the rollers 23 and 22.

A housing 27 is mounted on the outside surface of the standard 21, the back wall of saidhousing being provided with a sleeve like extension 28 forming one bearing, while the cover 29 is provided with a sleeve like position in'the standard 20, they assume a position as shown by the dotted lines 20* and 20 however, by bending or biasing them so that the substantially right angled end 36 of each guard rail enters into its respective anchoring aperture in the standard or side member 20, the guard rails will lie substantially parallel with the rollers and will be held in proper position relative to the line of engagement between said rollers. Bending or biasing of the rails tends to rotate the ends thereof which are journalled in the switch housing. Any contact by the hands of the operator, or clothes going into the wring er with the guard rails, will flex them toward the rolls of the wringer, such flexing causing them to move so as to rotate their ends 35 in a direction opposite to that caused bythe bending or biasing of the rails.

The end 35 of each guard rail'is knurled, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, and has securely mounted thereon an insulting block 40 positioned-between the two bearing portions 28 and 30. Each insulating block 40 is provided with a contact member 41 having a terminal 95 member 42 to which is connected one of the Wires 43 leading to the driving motor and the source of current. Contacts 41 are held in engagement by the normal twisting effect of the guard rails as mentioned above. Angular 10 ears 53 are provided in the housing which limit the movement of the insulating blocks its respective guard rail is flexed toward the wringer rolls, causing rotation of the end of the guard rail to move its block 40 away from its respective stop 53.

From the foregoing it may be seen that the present invention provides fora safety device of simple structure and design which may be .roduced commercially at a minimum cost an which requires comparatively little time for assembling it upon a wringer. The housing is so designed that the cover may be removed and again placed in position to establish proper alignment of the bearings.

Another advantage lies in the fact that the guard rails in passing longitudinally of the rollers and adjacent their line of engagement, provide a safety device which stops the operation of the wringer before the hands of the operator actually touch the rollers, said guard rails also providing a safety device which substantially eliminates over-loading the wringer. By means of this safety device, the operator may quickly bring the machine to a stop when it is desired to prevent an article from passin through the wringer.

While the'form o embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A safety switch for a clothes wrin er having engagin rolls comprising in com 'ination, a pair 0 normally engaging contacts either one of which is movable out of engagement with the other; and a guard rail on each side of the wringer, lying adjacent the wringer rolls, each connected with a respective contact, and operable toward the said rolls to disengage one contact from the other.

2. A safety switch for a clothes wringer having engaging rolls comprising in combination, a housing; a guard rail on each side of the wringer, lying adjacent the wringer rolls, a portion of each rail extending through said housing and being supported rotatably therein; and a contact insulatingly supported on each guard rail, within said housing; said contacts normally engaging with each other.

3. A safety switch for a clothes wringer comprising in combination, normally closed contacts; and guard rails of resilient material connected with the contacts and movably supported on said wringer and biased to exart a force normally holding the contacts closed but adapted, when moved toward the wringer, to open said contacts.

4. A safety switch for a clothes wringer comprising in combination, contacts adapted to be moved toward each other so that they engage; and guard rails of resilient material movably supported on the'wringer each connected with a respective contact, said guard rails exerting a force normally holding the contacts in engagement, each of said rails beingso connected with a contact that when moved toward the wringer its contact will move out of engagement with the contact of the other rail. 1

5. A safety switch for a clothes wringer comprising in combination, a switch housing; a guard rail provided on each side of the wringer, one end of each guard rail being rotatabl supported in the switch housing, the other end of each rail being so anchored to the wringer that the rails are biased, tending to rotate in the housing; a contact insulatingly supported on the end of each guard rail extending into the housing said contact being held in en agement with each other b the biasing of t e guard rails, one contact, owever, being moved out of engagement with the other when its respective rail is engaged and moved out of normal position toward the wringer. v y

6. A safety switch for a clothes wringer comprising in combination, a switch housing mounted onthe wringer, having a wall and a removable cover providing aligned and spaced bearing portlons; a guard rail on each side of the wringer in propel-relative position to the operating parts thereof, each guard rail havm one end rotatably supported in the bearing portions of the housin the other end being so secured to the wringer that the ard rails are biased tending to cause rotation of their ends journalled in the bearing portions; an insulating block securely mounted on each ard rail end within the housing, said bloc tending to move toward each other due to the action of the biased guard rails, "each being movable away from the other when the respective guard rail is moved toward the wringer; means on the housing for limiting the movement of the blocks toward each other; and normally en aging contacts carried respectively by the blocks.

7. A safety switch for a clothes wringer having engaging rolls comprising in combination, a housing; a resilient guard rail on each side of the wringer, lying adjacent the wringer rolls, a portion of each rail extending through said housing and being supported rotatabl therein; a contact insulatingly supporte on each ard rail, within said housin the other enf df each rail being so 'anchore to the wringer that the rails are biased, tending to rotate in the housing to exert a force normally holding the contacts closed but adapted, when moved toward the Wringer, to open said contacts.

8. A safety switch for a clothes Wringer having engaging rolls comprising in combination a pair of normally engaging contacts either one of Which is movable out of engagement with the other; and a'guard rail on each side of the wringer, each connected with one of said movable contacts, and each operable to disengage said contacts to open a circuit therethrough, upon movement of said rail toward the said rolls.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

CAR-L CLEMENS ZWIEBEL. 

